Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-03-26
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Childrss.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
One In Lancaster, Q girl OF sixteen, the two |
others boy and girl OF thirteen In this city,
have committed suicide within week. The
example Of little Annie Niblack was evi.
IDENTIFY contagious Children are learning
the lesson Of I'm patience sct by older people
who cannot stay 70 face present or expected
trouble The little girl who stole the hand.
kerchiefs stood greatly In need OF some friend.
She did not need whipping. When will
parents learn that repentance must come
from within and not by blows, or the threat
Of blowA applied to the tender little akin :
II anybody could have taken the time to
talk TO that girl aud make her anxious to get
her own self.respect again, she would proba.
bly, be alive ut this day, and much better
little housewife at the head OF that now deeo-
late home These little women, who are
forced by circumstances to take responsibility
beyond their years, are generally very ambi-
tious To be publicly disgraced In the neigh.
borhood, or to be even threatened with pun.
ishment, no doubt seemed much more terri
bic to that little Annie than to have done the
thing which caused her disgrace aud her
hss,y rush out OF lifa Here is where many
parents fail In their duty. The child 10 to be
u
when 1t does an evil thing. 1t is to be taught
that 1t has defsced itself by breaking moral
law, that 1t has stained itself, aud can undo
the stain only In its own mind and by its own
conduct. 1t should not be taught to look to
the neghbors for approval or for disspprovs',
but to regard its own conscience rs hurl al
panied by wrong doing. Slaps and punish.
ments make the spirited child feel that the
otiense Is made even, whereas II 1t IL left to
reflect that nothing but changed conduct will
"a orr inh n
changed conduct will do 1t-all the hopeless
ness, IS we'll as all the anger and revengeful
feelings are taken out Of Its punishment A
child can easily see that it Is disgraced before
punished but that is the way that all
the roGues and thieves and default
ers are made. When . crime Is kept hid It
Is only counted half crime BY the door
when there Is no public knowledge of It the
stealing or the cheating 10 thought to be
merely robbtng others But man who has
learned in boy hood that the thief robs him.
self OF his self.respect, and that his own esu.
mate OF himself is his greatest pride aud COM
fort will have the true safeguard against
temptation. Growing girls aud boys need
good deal Of sympathy when they have to
live with older people who have no se!f-re-
straint, who scold and threaten and call down
the opinion OF the neighborhood to show .
child its fault Teach It TO be Its own judge /;
give it Its own self.restrAint and never
threaten 1t for anything 1t has done Con.
slder carefully before you open your lipA
even II 1t has committed what seems . seri.
Gus fault or q contemplate meaunesA 81.
lence has been called the most beautiful
thing in all the world, and 1t Is certainly
never % impressive as when 1t comes after
some childish wrong g.doing. The little out.
law will soon recognize that II IL serious si.
leuce, that this 10 meant to make 1t consider
its own actions and no parent should A.
tempt even to reprove Q child In words for .
grave fault until the words have been
weighed. For the little awkwardness or
teasing Of children, that are usually rebuked
just as sharply - . capital ofiense could pos.
sibly be, how easy 1t Is to say simply "I
wouldn't do that, Z" or, Don't you think you
had better not do 20 ~ Such words help to
make the giddiest child It's own police officer;
and, by mildly calling its attention to annoy.
ing behavior, help it to mend itself from
within.